


The First Watch

by Bofur1



Series: The Two Blue Wizards [4]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Giants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-09
Updated: 2013-07-09
Packaged: 2017-12-18 06:09:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/876510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Bofur1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After he and Bombur rescue everyone from the Stone Giants, Bofur takes the first watch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The First Watch

“ _Look out!_ ” Dwalin bellowed, catching Bofur’s and everyone else’s attention. Kíli and Ori screamed, and Bilbo was trembling like an autumn leaf.

“This is no thunderstorm,” Balin declared, shuffling a bit to look to the east of them. “It’s a thunder-battle!” He pointed, crying, “Look!”

Even with the rain lashing into his eyes, Bofur saw what Balin and Dwalin had seen. “Well, bless me!” he gasped, stepping forward to see better. “Th’ legends are true! Giants! Stone Giants!”

The daunting stone creature gave a strange sound that reminded Bofur of a war horn, and then a gigantic boulder was flying at them. It exploded into deadly shards and chips that rained down on them.

“Take cover, you fool!” Thorin shouted. Bofur didn’t know who he was talking to until Fíli and Kíli seized his clothing and bodily slammed him against the face of the mountain.

For a second all Bofur saw were stars; he’d knocked his head a bit against the rock face. Then as his vision cleared Bofur watched in disbelief as more Giants appeared, roaring their anger and hurling rocks of their own.

The next moment Bofur heard Kíli cry, “What’s happening?!” and Fíli yelping, “Kíli! Grab my hand!” Bofur looked up in alarm to see that they themselves were standing not on a mountain, but a Giant itself. And now they were separated from their families. Bofur heard Bifur howling something unintelligible, for he’d been shoved to the left leg of the Giant, and Bofur and Bombur were on the right.

Bofur felt his feet slipping out from beneath him; he seized anything he could to stay on, including Bilbo’s clothing, which nearly sent the Burglar off as well. The Giant roared, and more boulders were suddenly hurling through the sky. In his peripheral vision Bofur saw that the Dwarves on the other leg of the Giant had managed to scramble to safety.

 _There’s no chance fer us!_ Bofur thought in a panic. _There’s no way we can make a jump, ’cept maybe Dwalin. We’re doomed!_

Bofur grew dizzy as the Stone Giant turned around and round in circles, jostling its passengers. However, at that moment there was a deafening boom, and a goliath’s head shattered upon the lower rocks. The body of their giant began to tilt, and they were falling toward the rock face of the mountain.

As fear paralyzed him and made his eyes go wide, Bofur felt something, a ripple in the air. He turned his head, and locked eyes with his brother. Time seemed to slow as the two of them stared at each other.

The Lady Galadriel had said that good would become of his and Bombur’s powers. Was this it? Bofur set his mouth, and grimly nodded. Bombur nodded back, and they could feel the change between them as they put everything they had into their plan.

Bofur thought his chest would explode; he felt as though his blood was on fire, and he howled along with the others as they slammed into the mountain. Bofur heard Thorin screaming, and then running boots approaching. The last traces of their sphere of protection vanished just as Thorin and Glóin rounded the corner.

“It’s alright!” Glóin called to the others. “They’re alive!”

 _Because of Bombur and I_ , Bofur wanted to say, but he was too drained to speak, or even move. He felt he was very close to blacking out, but his groggy mind still managed to notice something was wrong.

Heaving himself up, Bofur panted, “Where’s Bilbo?” Everyone looked shocked, and Bofur repeated fearfully, “Where’s the Hobbit?!” They couldn’t have come all this way only to lose the Burglar! It was then that Bofur saw small fingers digging into the rock surface. “There!”

Bofur and Ori scrambled to help him, but in the end it was Thorin to hoisted Bilbo up, and then Dwalin who hoisted _him_ up. They entered the cave mouth that was standing nearby, and Bofur believed he would collapse where he stood.

“Get some sleep; we start at first light,” Thorin ordered. Bofur got no farther than ‘Get some sleep’, and in relief he began unfastening his cloak. However, he froze right there when he heard Thorin say his name. “Bofur.”

Bofur turned, and the four words fit to break his heart came from Thorin’s mouth. “Take the first watch.” The miner mutely bowed his head in acknowledgement and sat in a small, uncomfortable niche as he watched the others prepare their warm, soft, comfortable bedrolls. Bofur pressed his eyes closed. He didn’t want to see anything more.

When he opened his eyes again, Bofur found Bombur in front of him. Bombur’s eyes were filled with sadness and sympathy. “I’m sorry.”

“He doesn’t know what we did fer him,” Bofur whispered. “He doesn’t know that we’re the ones who saved his heir nephew’s life. An’ the life o’ his cousin. An’ the life o’ the Burglar. An’ the life o’ the little scribe.”  His voice was growing sharp. “We’re the ones who saved th’ cooking too! Without ye they’d all starve, and we’re the ones who saved that too! So frankly we saved ev’ryone just now, and Thorin rewards me with ‘Take the first watch’!”

“Shh,” Bombur said, glancing cautiously over at their companions. “If Bifur hears you, he would get riled, and probably get into serious trouble.”

“Tha’ wouldn’t be so bad,” Bofur muttered. “Right now I’d like to see Thorin get socked in th’—”

“None of that,” Bombur said sternly, and Bofur frowned.

“Go get some sleep,” he mumbled, turning away with tears pricking his eyes. “Thorin said so.” Bombur bit his lip, and then moved quietly away.

Later that night Bofur saw Bilbo prepared to sneak out. Bofur leaned forward and hissed, “Where d’ye think ye’re goin’?”

“Back to Rivendell,” the Hobbit murmured.

Bofur paused. It was a split second before he made his decision. “I’m comin’ with ye.”

 


End file.
